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Athens police use spikes to stop impaired motorist

published Thursday, February 7, 2013

Athens-Clarke police Wednesday night used spikes to flatten the tires of a car driven by an impaired motorists who led an officer on a chase.

Police began receiving multiple 911 calls about a car being driven recklessly at about 9:25 p.m. An officer reported he spotted the vehicle as it traveled east on Atlanta Highway near Epps Bridge Road.

The motorist, 49-year-old Michael Lee Cooper of Lawrenceville, weaved all over the road while ignoring the lights and siren of a patrol car that got behind him, police said. He then drove his car through a red light on West Broad Street at Holman Avenue.

Another officer deployed spikes in the road at Rocksprings Street, flattening the tires of Cooper’s car as it drove over them, police said. The man stopped his car upon turning onto Chase Street.

Cooper told officers he took medication earlier in the evening and had a glass of wine. He was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center, where blood was drawn to test for alcohol or drugs.

Cooper was booked into jail on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fleeing to elude, driving on a suspended license, and failure to obey a traffic control device.

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